Crypto miner deserts Pennsylvania site, fails to plug wells: Report
Diversified Energy has vacated its natural gas-powered crypto mining site, Longhorn Pad A, in Elk County, Pennsylvania, leaving unplugged wells and regulatory violations. The operation began in 2022 without an air quality permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which was granted later. A March 2025 inspection revealed the removal of mining infrastructure, prompting a violation notice for well abandonment. Diversified denied abandonment claims, stating potential plans to resume gas production. The company failed to fulfill obligations under a 2021 agreement to plug Longhorn A and 13 other wells. Environmentalists criticize Diversified's business model for acquiring aging wells without proper decommissioning plans. Plugging a well can exceed $100,000, and Pennsylvania has over 350,000 orphaned wells. Diversified agreed to plug 3,000 wells by 2034 but faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny. Local officials report no updates from the company regarding the site. Meanwhile, opposition to crypto mining is growing in various US municipalities, including recent rejections of proposals in Arkansas and lawsuits in Texas.
